Autumn Tidy-Up Continues

 

Spent today shifting roses that I feel are in the wrong place in the garden, Crepescule was fine when I planted it, but shrubs in front of it have obscured it from view, ok from the street, but not for me to see. Nancy Steen is a lovely rose but has grown so tall because shrubs around her have got very large.
Why don't we think of these things when planting?

These roses in the photo are the old-fashioned Zephrine Drouhin and Paul Transom. Zephrine flowers beauyifully in the first flowering, but gets powdery mildew in a big way later in the season. Considering shifting her to a place where there is more movement of air, as she is in a very sheltered position at the moment.

Dug out two large hostas today and split them up and put them into a shade garden that I am developing. How often do we gardeners see photos in magazines and wonder why they always appeal more than our own, even if the plants are the same?
I suppose that is what gardening is all about though, trying to improve what we have, it certainly is not a static thing.

Rain at Last

Last night we had 8mm of rain, not nearly enough, but surely a start, has been a long, dry, summer. We now need substantial rain for the farmers as their stock are very short on feed, with the winter coming along.
Have finished spreading pea straw mulch on the garden, have never used it before, but as I have a back problem and my mobility is limited I think it will help me keep the weeds under control. It certainly looks very tidy now, until the blackbirds and thrushes get into it of course! We have bought a grass rake in anticipation.
The tomatoes are almost finished in the glasshouse, and the outside ones of course, so have planted some heirloom lettuce seed to grow in there during the winter.

I have posted this photo, have had the plant for several years, having bought it at a market day, never knew what it was called, but just lately have seen it in several magazines and books, Rudbeckia Herbstonne. A lovely yellow, grows very tall thought, and the wind does knock it around, have it now in several places, and just love the colour.

Shade garden

 

Have been working hard to develop this shade garden and very pleased with the way it is developing, will break up all my hostas in the spring and plant a lot here. Pea straw has been laid and hopefully will help with the weed problem.
Also we now have a sprinkler system in here so no longer the difficult "dry shade" area that it was.

Clematis Tangitica

 

I think the seed heads of this plant are almost as interesting as the flowers. It gives a long display from flowering through to this stage.
Was reading Melanies blog at Old Country Gardens and her arrangements for doing her potting.
I was fortunate enough to have a potting shed made for me by my husband for my birthday a couple of years ago, gardeners are happy with much different things as gifts than non-gardeners aren't they? A trailer load of compost probably would not go down too well with the latter, but just what the the former would love!

Autumn Sunrise

Early this morning, looking east out our front door this was what greeted me.

Isn't it a marvellous sunrise?

Still cutting back perennials for the winter, and spreading pea straw, what I have done looks lovely and tidy, until the blackbirds get into it!